As one of the youngest artists to grace almost every stage they’ve stepped foot on, Moore Kismet leads the new generation of electronic music— and with a force that can’t be slowed down. While actively performing DJs had to take a break from their usual live show antics during the pandemic, Moore Kismet (real name: Omar Davis) found room in the turbulence to finally get their name recognized.
“My age has kind of been at the forefront of what I’ve been doing for so long. People literally told us straight up they didn’t want to book me because I was a liability to them.”
Moore Kismet
Finding places to perform in person was few and far between for an underage Moore Kismet. But when the pandemic hit, it opened up many unique opportunities for the non-binary artist to perform virtually— where age restrictions and travel barriers were no issue; and where they had a platform to really show off their vibrant personality and talents and be an influential voice in the LGBTQ+ creative community.
Moore Kismet reflects on their journey, “Around when the pandemic hit, people really started to take notice because, obviously, we couldn’t really do in-person shows. Insomniac was doing their live streams, and I was a part of two of those. Then I did Digital Mirage with Brownies & Lemonade and Proximity. That’s what really set me over. That’s when a lot of people found out about me. I think over 50,000 people were watching me that night, just in my old manager’s office, playing with strip lights we got off Amazon and unicorn floaties and stuff.”
“It was a pretty crazy time. But we had to do what we needed to do with what we had and then figure out where we were going from there.”
Moore Kismet
Emerging from the pandemic, the up-and-coming artist was considerably positioned for the next level of stardom that quickly came when they began to perform in person at shows and festivals around the world. Though still underage, they secured opportunities performing their bass-dubstep-trap blend at leading festivals such as Electric Zoo and Coachella, opening for major artists like Illenium and GRiZ, and embarking on their debut headlining worldwide tour, which saw them at Lollapalooza Paris, Red Rocks Amphitheater, EDC Las Vegas, and many more notable places.
Reflecting on this pivotal phase, the blossoming artist shares, “I don’t think my career would be the same right now if it weren’t for what the pandemic did for us and how we were able to really figure everything out once we started shifting out of the pandemic and into the current age of where dance music is at now in the live space.”
“A lot of people waned out of it; a lot of people lost their drive. For me, it was really just a matter of reinvigorating my passion, reevaluating my influences in music, and really figuring out what Moore Kismet is for the foreseeable future. A lot of that time over the pandemic was the time I spent writing my album, and it just went from there.”
Moore Kismet
Now of age, the multi-talented artist has accomplished things their young self could’ve only dreamed of, like landing on Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list two years in a row and creating a song with their lifelong idol, Skrillex, amongst a myriad of other achievements.
On meeting Skrillex, they share, “I’ve looked up to Sonny since I was a little kid. He was one of the first electronic artists that I started listening to when I started getting into dubstep at like ten years old. For me, it was a very full circle moment, for him to even be interested in my work and reach out and connect with me and give me words of advice at 14 and then four years later for me to be meeting him at a random festival in my mom’s hometown in Alabama— that was just a really full circle moment.”
At just 18 years old, the musical prodigy is nothing short of an industry powerhouse, accomplishing as much as and even running laps around names that have been in the industry for decades.
Discussing their unique journey, Moore Kismet describes age-related challenges, saying, “I’ve been fortunate enough to have people in my life who are not patronizing to my age and who are not only seeing me as a teenager, but are seeing me as an artist and as a friend, because that’s all I’ve ever really wanted. But I think it’s been a little bit challenging because people either don’t remember I’m 18 or people are fully aware of the fact that I’m a teenager, but have this opinion of me that they can’t really get as close with me as they would normally with other people, because of the fact I’m a teenager and they might have preconceived notions.”
“Being in the music industry at such a young age, I’ve had to grow up very fast. I’ve had to learn a lot about interpersonal relationships and navigating that as comfortably, and as safely, and as respectfully as possible. For me, it’s kind of been figuring out where I land on the positive side of that journey.”
Moore Kismet
But while age-related obstacles will remain for a few more years, Moore Kismet shares that “these last two years, and more specifically since January of this year, I have been in the best conceivable creative mindset.” Even in a place as dull as Victorville, they realized that “if I could create the craziest music living in the most boring of places, then I could pretty much do anything I set my mind to.”
Before catching their packed-house evening set at Electric Zoo, we had the chance to chat with the budding artist. Continue reading for the full interview.
Moore Kismet x Respect My Region Exclusive Interview
Last year at EZoo, we caught your set, which brought in a pretty solid crowd. What are some things you have accomplished since then?
Moore Kismet: Since last year’s Electic Zoo, I think the most notable was doing my remix with Skrillex and then putting it out the week after I met him for the first time in person. I think that was the biggest thing because 2023 has just been very slow for me.
[Moore Kismet’s manager chimes in] I have something: when you turned 18. That’s a big thing.
Moore Kismet: I mean, yeah. That is another big thing, too; I did turn 18.
Moore Kismet’s manager: And you finished your first headline a couple of days ago.
Moore Kismet: That’s true, yeah. There are a lot of big things that did happen.
Those are definitely all major accomplishments to me, but I’ve looked up to Sonny (Skrillex) since I was a little kid. He was one of the first electronic artists that I started listening to when I started getting into dubstep at like ten years old. For me, it was a very full circle moment, for him to even be interested in my work and reach out and connect with me and give me words of advice at 14 and then four years later for me to be meeting him at a random festival in my mom’s hometown in Alabama— that was just a really full circle moment.
But, of course, turning 18 is a really big thing. My age has kind of been at the forefront of what I’ve been doing for so long. So it’s a very big thing now that I am, in the eyes of most people, a legal adult. It’s been very interesting navigating and doing more, I guess, adult things, per se. So I’ve just kind of been really trying to glide that out.
When you were underage, were there a lot of festivals and shows that you couldn’t play because of your age?
Oh yeah. People literally told us straight up they didn’t want to book me because I was a liability to them. Around when the pandemic hit, people really started to take notice because, obviously, we couldn’t really do in-person shows. Insomniac was doing their live streams, and I was a part of two of those. Then I did Digital Mirage with Brownies & Lemonade and Proximity. That’s what really set me over. That’s when a lot of people found out about me. I think over 50,000 people were watching me that night, just in my old manager’s office, playing with strip lights we got off Amazon and unicorn floaties and stuff. It was a pretty crazy time. But we had to do what we needed to do with what we had, and then figure out where we were going from there.
Once everybody saw my set at Digital Mirage, people started to take notice of me and tap into my music, and figure me out as a human being and as an artist.
So in a way, the pandemic helped you?
Absolutely. I don’t think my career would be the same right now if it weren’t for what the pandemic did for us and how we were able to really figure everything out once we started shifting out of the pandemic and into the current age of where dance music is at now in the live space.
A lot of people waned out of it; a lot of people lost their drive. For me, it was really just a matter of reinvigorating my passion, reevaluating my influences in music, and really figuring out what Moore Kismet is for the foreseeable future. A lot of that time over the pandemic was the time I spent writing my album, and it just went from there.
We kind of already touched on this, but being so young, have you found it hard to fit in in the industry? Or do you think it’s been welcoming?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have people in my life who are not patronizing to my age and who are not only seeing me as a kid or as a teenager, but are seeing me as an artist and as a friend, because that’s all I’ve ever really wanted. But I think it’s been a little bit challenging because people either don’t remember I’m 18 or people are fully aware of the fact that I’m a teenager, but have this opinion of me that they can’t really get as close with me as they would normally with other people, because of the fact I’m a teenager and they might have preconceived notions about the way teenagers do things. But being in the music industry at such a young age, I’ve had to grow up very fast. I’ve had to learn a lot about interpersonal relationships and navigating that as comfortably, and as safely, and as respectfully as possible. For me, it’s kind of been figuring out where I land on the positive side of that journey.
So you’ve been very creatively motivated from a really young age. What would you tell your younger self?
I would say, keep challenging yourself to do things you never thought you could do. These last two years, and more specifically since January of this year, I have been in the best conceivable creative mindset. There is literally not a thing I would change about the way I’m working now, but I think I would’ve liked to have gotten to that point a lot sooner because I would be much prouder with a lot of my music. I think it would just be a more solid journey for my sonic palette and my sonic direction now if I had just given myself the ability to be more creative.
Is there anything outside of music that inspires your creativity?
Absolutely. I love doing visual art. I love doing character designs. I love writing screenplays and short stories and things of that nature. I think there are certain things I’m not always able to tell properly in music that I want to try and do in other mediums that are more calming and that I’m able to focus on structuring it out a lot more than I wouldn’t normally be able to with music.
Do you think that where you grew up has influenced your artistic abilities or your career?
I wouldn’t really think so because I live in the middle of nowhere, but I will say that me living in Victorville definitely has had a lot to do with my creativity in the sense that I realized very soon in my journey as Moore Kismet that if I could create the craziest music living in the most boring of places, then I could pretty much do anything I set my mind to. So that’s kind of what I’ve prioritized.
I’ve never heard of Victorville.
Never drive there. Avoid it. Drive through and go to Vegas; don’t stop. Do not stop.
What other emerging artists inspire you?
Where do I even begin? Jaron, Chromonicci, akeos, Voltra, Kilamanzego, Chuck Sutton, SØNATA, HEKLER, Uniq, WINK, Niko, ISOxo, Knock2, of course, Control Freak. There are so many incredible people in this scene that inspire me on a daily basis to do the unthinkable. There are a lot of people that come to me now, but there are so many more that I listen to on a daily basis that are just not coming to me right now. But there are so many incredibly talented people that are just at the forefront of true raw creativity in electronic music that just continue to inspire me to put on my best face and be on my A game. All the people I named are very close friends of mine. They’ve given me feedback on my work to teach me how to improve it.
Oh my god, the one artist that I completely forgot, Laxcity— a UK-based artist who is literally one of my best friends on the planet. I don’t think I’d know half of what I know about the software I use if it wasn’t for him because we use the same DAW. Every time he sends me something, I’m just absolutely blown away and every time I listen to his music, it just brings me such a warm and nostalgic feeling. I’m genuinely so proud of him. He recently finished his first US headline tour after months of battling with the UK government to get his visa. He is such an incredibly talented artist who deserves so much more love and respect. I’m always here to support him, but he and all of the other people I mentioned, plus so many more that aren’t coming to me, just truly inspire me to keep going and keep doing my best.
If you could collaborate with anyone—
Beyoncé!!!
Okay, so in pop and mainstream music, Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, Doechii, and Lil Nas X. In electronic music, Skrillex, Flume, Aphex Twin, Arca. I would also really love to work with Oneohtrix Point Never and Cashmere Cat.
What if I asked you five years ago, would you say the same?
The same. Probably the same.
I was a real bass head as a little kid, so I would’ve loved to work with Excision. Also five years ago, I would’ve said Space Laces, such an immensely talented and fun and quirky guy.
Chance The Rapper said, “I met Kanye West; I’m never going to fail.” Who is that for you?
I would say Skrillex, which has already happened. And I was like damn, it is only up from here. I would also say Beyoncé. If I had the chance to meet Beyoncé, there is no chance in hell I’m ever quitting music; that would change my life forever.
If you could be reincarnated into any animal, what would it be and why?
This is tough, but I would probably say it would be a three-way tie between a puppy— like a baby husky—, a tiger, or on the off chance there is one out there, a unicorn.
Okay, I have one more question based off of that. If you could be reincarnated into any musician, who would it be and why?
SOPHIE. She has had such an impact on my life as a musician who works with more experimental tinges and sounds in electronic music. She also just had such a beautiful view on the world. I would love to be her. I know no one ever could be, but if I could, I would just love to see what has shaped her view of the world and on creating things. And just to have an ounce of her skill and her talent, I would just be immensely grateful.
